Unexpected
by Natasha Everclear
Summary: Squalphie entry, read it! * I own nothing, it all belongs to the respective owners from whence it sprang *
1. The beginning

Unexpected  
  
"Squall, can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?" Selphie's voice was tinged with a mix of worry and fear.  
  
"Sure Selph, whats up? You ok?" Squall smiled at Rinoa as he was pulled around the corner of the building by Selphie. He couldn't help but notice that she was unusually quiet. There was obvioulsy something major going on if it made Selphie, of all people, quiet.  
  
"No, I'm not really ok Squall. Look, I know that we said that we wouldn't ever talk about what happened that night when you and Rinoa almost broke up last month, but I have to. See, what we did was bad enough, but...." Selphie looked down, biting her lip.  
  
"Just get to the point Selphie. I was actually in the middle of something kind of important." Selphie noticed the edge of a velvet box peeking from Squall's pocket, and sighed.  
  
"Look, never mind.....its not important. I gotta go!" Selphie turned to run, but Squall was faster. Seizing her arm in a viselike grip, he spun her around to face him.  
  
"Tell me what the hell is going on Selphie! Its obviously not nothing from the way you are acting, so get to it already. I don't have all day."  
  
"Fine! You might want to rethink being so physical though, its probably not good for the baby!" Selphie was yelling at the top of her voice. When Squall realized what Selphie had just said his jaw dropped in shock, and his grip on her arm loosened enough for her to pull away from him.  
  
"You-you mean you're...." Squall sank to the ground, stunned.  
  
"Yeah, I am. And yes, its yours. After all, I WAS a virgin that night." Selphie laughed bitterly, her hand resting on her belly. There were tears in her eyes, but she was fighting not to let them fall.  
  
"You haven't, umm..." Squall's voice trailed off in uncertainty.  
  
"Gone out and pity fucked any other guys? No, nobody but you." The tears trembled on the edges of her lower lashes like trapped crystals, forever hovering.  
  
"Selphie.." Squall reached out and took her hand in his "I'm sorry. You know that I never meant to take advantage of you. Do you know what you are going to do?" He gestured with his free hand toward her belly, implication obvious.  
  
"Well, its not like I have a whole lot of choices. I just can't give it away to be raised in an orphanage, and I can't very well keep it since SeeD won't allow unwed parents. So what do you think that I am going to do?" Tears spilled down Selphie's face unchecked. The thought of killing her baby broke her heart, but SeeD was all she had. With out SeeD she wouldn't have a place to live, or income, or anyway to support a child.  
  
"Selphie, will you marry me?" Squall had lifted himself to one knee, ringbox held up to her. The look on his face was deadly serious. Selphie could see something dying in his eyes as he knelt in front of her, and felt her heart begin to break.  
  
"Squall....you don't have to do this. I can take it, I can handle the consequences of what we did. I know how much you love Rinoa, I could never ask you to give her up." The brief flash of hope on Selphie's face died, replaced once more by grief. Squall smiled up at her, bitter sweet.  
  
"Selphie, you didn't ask, I offered. Yes, I love Rinoa, but she isn't worth killing my baby. I know we aren't in love, but we can learn. If nothing else, we can get married long enough for you to have the baby, and then we can get divorced. I'll leave SeeD and take care of it if you want me to." Squall was still on one knee in front of her, and she could see the tears glittering in his eyes. She knew what it was costing him to leave Rinoa, knew that the ring he was still holding up to her had been intended for Rinoa. Selphie didn't see any graceful way she could say anything but,  
  
"Yes Squall, I'll marry you." Something in the back of her mind began rejoicing. She had always liked Squall, but never thought that she had a chance.  
  
"I'm obviously interrupting. I should go..." Rinoa's voice was strangled, tears laced into every word. She was staring at the two of them, eyes very wide and overly shiny. Rinoa spun away from them, sobs tearing themselves from her throat as she ran. Squall rose, intent on catching Rinoa, but Selphie stopped him.  
  
"What are you going to do Squall? Tell her that what she heard wasn't true? Just leave her alone, you can't help her now." Selphie's voice was soft, attempting to comfort him. Squall said nothing, he merely stood looking after Rinoa, his heartbreak plain on his face. He pulled away from Selphie, sinking back to sit against the wall. Tears streaked down his face unnoticed as he stared blankly into space. Knowing that there wasn't anything that she could do to help him with this, Selphie left him to his grief. 


	2. The Wedding

Selphie tapped at the door, not wanting to wake Quistis if she was sleeping. They hadn't ever been very close, but at this point it was talk to someone or go insane. Just as she was reaching to tap again, a sleep tousled Quistis cracked the door. "Yes Selphie? Can I help you?" Her voice sounded more awake than she looked.  
  
"I just wanted to talk to you. I didn't mean to wake you, sorry. I'll leave you alone."  
  
"No, its allright, I wasn't sleeping anyway. Stay here for a minute, I'll get dressed and then we can talk." Quistis slid the door shut again, and Selphie could hear her talking to someone inside. When a masculine voice replied, Selphie felt her self blush. 'That explains the whole tousled hair thing anyway. Ice Princess Quistis, on a one night stand? How shocking!' A small smile was creeping over Selphie's face when the door opened again, and Seifer Almassy stepped out. Selphie's jaw dropped, and Seifer merely smiled. Making quite sure that Selphie noticed, he buttoned the top button of his jeans, and suantered off down the hall. "You can come in now Selphie. He's gone." Quistis was smiling, and Selphie couldn't help but notice the small hickey on her collar bone. 'And I thought that I had shocking secrets!' Selphie thought as she stepped in to Quistis's room.  
  
"Thanks for taking the time to talk to me. Have you heard?" Selphie settled into a chair gingerly, resting on the very edge of the seat.  
  
Quistis smiled, smoothing her hair back with her free hand. "Yeah, I was told. So you two are getting married?" She couldn't quite keep the surprise out of her face.  
  
"That's the plan right now. Actually, that is why I am here. I was wondering if you would be my maid of honor?" Selphie couldn't bring herself to look Quistis in the face, she was that afraid that the only female friend she had left would reject her.  
  
"Of course I will Selphie! I'm honored that you would think to ask." Selphie looked up through her bangs at Quistis, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth.  
  
"Oh, thank you so much! I thought that I was going to be all alone. Will you bring a date? I don't think that you're going to want to pal around with Squall's best man all night. After all, Zell is a little annoying to most people." Selphie sighed, and Quistis had to refrain from asking about the conflicting emotions darting across the other girls face.  
  
  
  
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As the music began, Quistis stepped out into the church proper, taking Zell's arm. They made their way up the aisle, smiling for all they were worth. Without moving his lips Zell whispered, "Never thought that I'd see this happen. Kinda strange, don't you think?"  
  
"That is the understatement of the century. Wait'll Selphie comes up the aisle, that'll be even stranger. Who would've thought that Seifer Almassy would be in Squall's wedding?" The smile on Quistis's face didn't really match the occasion, as drenched with irony as it was. Before Zell had time to respond, they were at the head of the aisle, taking their places on their respective sides. The brides march began, and Selphie stepped out on Seifer's arm. She hadn't know who to ask to give her away, seeing as Cid was performing the ceremony. When Quistis suggested Sefier, she was shocked. After thinking about it for awhile though, Selphie realized that she had alway thought of Seifer as a brother, and who better to give her away then her brother? Squall couldn't help but notice how pretty Selphie looked in her dress. He wasn't smiling, he was too aware that it wasn't Rinoa coming up the aisle, but he could at least appreciate the fact that his bride was beautiful. They stepped up the aisle slowly, giving both Squall and Selphie time to appreciate what a big step they were making. As they reached the head of the aisle, Seifer stepped away, leaving the bride and groom standing alone, together. As the ceremony progressed the two of them gave the expected lines at the proper times, but their hearts weren't in it. As Cid asked if anyone objected, the doors slammed open, revealing a desperate lookin Rinoa.  
  
"Squall, please don't do this! I love you, please don't leave me!" She ran up the aisle, tears streaming down her face. "We can have babies Squall, I want to have your babies! She'll never love you the way that I do, never! Please, I love you..." Rinoa fell to her knees in front of Squall, arms wrapped around his legs. His face was white, and tears stood in his eyes. Looking down at Rinoa, it was impossible to keep them from falling, where they landed in her hair, shining jewels of despair and loss.  
  
"Rinoa, you have to go now. You know that I have to do this, there isn't any choice. I love you, but you have to leave. I can't see you again." He reached down and gently pulled her sobbing form away from his legs, passing her to Zell, who happened to be nearest. "Zell, please, get her out of here!" The tension made his voice sing. Zell carried the weeping Rinoa from the chruch, trying desperatley to comfort her. "Go on Cid, finish this." Squall had turned back to Selphie, tears still running down his face. When Cid asked the all important question, they both siad "I do." Their kiss was perfunctory, a mere fomality. As they walked down the asile, Selphie's hand slid over her belly, and Squall put his arm around her, resting his hand on top of hers. "We're gonna be ok. All three of us." Selphie wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure her, or himself.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Fin~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


End file.
